The green light from the Bali corrections board (BAPAS) increases the likelihood that the convicted drug smuggler could soon be released from Kerobokan jail to live with her sister Mercedes in Bali.
Corby has shown good behaviour while in prison, that local society and officials could accept her and the family is ready with guarantee. She now has a chance to walk free on parole. The crucial recommendation will now be passed on to the Law and Human Rights Ministry before final approval, which could come within weeks.
Corby has been eligible to apply for parole since last August but her legal team had baulked at lodging an application after the Indonesian government introduced tough new conditions for prisoners convicted of serious crimes including drug trafficking. But the recommendation from BAPAS is a massive boost and all but clears the way for Corby to gain parole.
Corby would have to serve out the remainder of her sentence in Bali, which would see her remain on the island until mid-2015, so long as she continues to win the maximum eight months per year in remissions.
The recommendation from BAPAS, revealed today, comes after corrections officers visited the home of Mercedes Corby on Tuesday to assess whether it would be a suitable place for her to live. It's understood the officers also inspected documents related to Schapelle's parole, including an unprecedented guarantee letter from the Australian government. Corby, who was caught in 2004 attempting to smuggle more 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali, was sentenced to 20 years in jail but had her prison term slashed by five years by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Source: AAP